Basic Info:
Name: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Origin: Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 8.0
IBU: 38
I drank this: on tap at Barley’s Brewhaus, Overland Park, KS while Tony and Alan mocked my so-called “cryptic” handwriting
This beer struck me as Boulevard’s answer to everyone else’s white ales. It isn’t a wit at all – it’s a saison – but my initial impression was “hello, Hoegaarden.” Be it noted that my initial impression was wrong.
The scent is slightly orange-floral in with the pale malts, and has an earthy, almost barn-like quality to it. “Farmhouse” seems an appropriate sort of setting for it (which isn’t necessarily a compliment). It’s a very pale, slightly cloudy (but hardly opaque) ale with a heavy grassy/lemony/almost hay-like flavor. The citrus presence was strong enough on its own that I didn’t want any kind of lemon or orange slice squeezed in.
Smell is nice, taste in mouth is nicely lemony pale malt. So far, so good (except for the slightly barny twinge, which kept bringing to mind horses in barns – horses in a barn setting don’t exactly have the bestest of smells).
And then we hit the problem (for me, at least): the aftertaste. Maybe I didn’t have a great pour of it, or maybe the keg was a bit off or something, but MAN did the aftertaste get bitter. I adore bitter (my favorite liquor is Campari – I LOVE bitter), but this bitter was way too much for my palate. I ended up diving into the pile of sweet potato fries in front of me in an attempt to rid my mouth of the aftertaste. It took a while. The bitter/sour part is an aspect of the yeasts in the beer and I gather, from the posters on beeradvocate, anyway, that this aspect is something highly prized by those who really like the style. Beeradvocate has given this beer an A-, so they seem to like it quite a bit. I take this to mean that this is a pretty good rendition of the style, and that those who really like Saisons should try and get ahold of this beer.
Me, I’d rather stick with my white ales – I’d take a Hoegaarden or a Lost Coast Great White over this any day.
I’m so glad someone else feels the same way about this beer as I do. And regarding the possibility of a bad pour, keep in mind that I first tried it at the Boulevard brewery, after the tour, so methinks ’twasn’t in your head. I couldn’t put my finger on what didn’t taste right, but your barnyard imagery works well enough for me. Other people I know love it, though, so more power to ’em. They can have my share.
The bartender at Barley’s was all over how wonderful she thought it was. I felt bad that I couldn’t share her enthusiasm, but. Barnyard. Like, hay and poo smell. Not much, but enough that I don’t want any more of it. I’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one who isn’t a fan.
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